Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.

Romans 5:18 (NLT)

Truly, the ability to make decisions is one of God’s greatest gifts to us.

Consider this:

God trusted Adam and Eve to take care of His earthly creation, to be obedient to a simple rule – don’t eat from that tree. Now, I know, in that instance the ability to make a decision, to have free will, doesn’t seem like a gift to us because Adam and Eve used their decision-making freedom to be disobedient creating problems for all mankind. Admittedly, I have, on multiple occasions, claimed that if someone builds a time machine I’m going back to the Garden and smacking Eve’s hand before it gets to that fruit. Still, despite this and other examples of poor decision making in history, I am thankful that God trusts us to make our own choices.

Consider this:

When Christ left the Father and the angels and all the glory of Heaven to walk among us, to die for us, to break those chains that Adam and Eve’s poor decision locked us into – He CHOSE to do so. He chose to come as a tiny babe and be raised among us. He chose to live a life of ministry and service when He could have just as easily arrived as an almighty King. He chose, in the flesh, to be crucified for the sins of all people.

AND as a result of His choosing, we have a choice:

Dear heart, once we’ve accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we still have choices.

We can choose to follow Him closely or at a distance.

We can choose joy and peace through obedience or we can choose chaos and anxiety through disobedience.

In this life, it’s all in the choosing. Choice is an incredible gift and also a massive responsibility.

The good news is that the bad choices we’ve made in the past don’t have to prevent us from making good choices in the future.

The choice that Christ made to die for our sins covers ever poor decision, every misdeed – washes them away and makes us white as snow – when we call on Him to save us. Moving forward, the choice to be obedient in each thing each day adds to our joy and our peace, makes our witness a bright light, and keeps us right with God. Moving forward, should we choose to disobey or disobey out of ignorance, Christ’s sacrifice, His one act that broke the chains of death, still stands and through repentance we find renewed communication with the Father, through returning to obedience we have a closer walk with Him.

The responsibility that comes with the freedom to choose, to act on those decisions, is why we need to stay in constant communication with God, to pray, to study His Word, to seek Godly counsel from strong, consistent Christ-followers.

It’s difficult to obey if we don’t seek His will, understand His character, or comprehend the examples of righteous and unrighteous decisions and actions He shows us in His Word.

One decision changed the eternal options for the entire world. One decision can change your entire life and your eternity as well this very moment.

Will you choose to accept the gift of life that Christ died for you to receive?

If you have accepted His gift, will you honor His sacrifice with your obedience?

Sweet friend, I made one choice 30 years ago that saved my soul. Then I made a string of disobedient and half-obedient choices for several years that created a rollercoaster of ups and downs and more stress than I care to reflect on most days. Now, I choose to follow God every day, to stay close through obedience, and I certainly don’t ever get it completely right, but even in my failings, what a difference the daily choice to be obedient has made!

Beloved, I wish for all of you the overwhelming joy, the enduring peace, the sense of direction that is found in knowing and trusting God. How great is our Father who made a way for us! How loving is the Son who sacrificed himself to make life, life more abundantly, available to us!